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by Svetlana Kondrashova

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I love a character raised to be a weapon as much as the next guy. But what really gets me is a character raised to be a shield. Who can’t fathom being needed—or even being wanted— beyond keeping others safe. Who believe they are alive only to insure someone doesn’t die. no matter the cost. Characters who self-sacrifice not because they think they deserve it, but because no one else does deserve it, and it’s their job to protect.

Characters who’ve been told that’s why your important. Your worth something because this other person/ thing is important, and you are here solely to keep them safe.

Bonus points if it’s not a legitimate job they’ve been given. Maybe at one point it was, but now that they are free from it, they haven’t given up that mentality. No one is forcing or asking them to do this, but they need to. They need to in order to be deserving.

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Standing there still, at the turn in the path — your blurry eyes, always looking back.

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Edward Matthew Hale (British, 1852–1924)

Mermaids' Rock, ca. 1894

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the idea of music growing on you is so weird. what's going on in your brain that makes it go "mmmmm :/" for the first 6 listens and then "ok!! ❤️" on the 7th

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Our beloved unicorn is back! Roe Deer/rådjur. Värmland, Sweden (October 18, 2024).

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I have deep love for the cat.

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One of the most interesting textual inconsistencies in Captive Prince is who died first–Aleron or Auguste. In book 1, when Damen is reflecting on Marlas he recalls how Auguste was able to hold the army together after his father’s death. In book three, though, Paschal suggests that Aleron’s death was caused, in part, by carelessness in the wake of Auguste’s death.

And this is interesting because each scenario has cool implications, and I kind of like it both ways. On the one hand, the idea of Auguste, king-for-an-afternoon, putting aside his grief to defend his country is really poignant. The fact that the army had such utter confidence in the crown prince that Aleron’s death didn’t break them speaks to just how strong a leader Auguste was. And if Aleron died first, surely Damen knew that the king of Vere was dead when he went to the front lines to challenge Auguste. He would have known that killing Auguste would not only break the Veretian lines but also win the battle, win the war, leave Vere kingless. It’s not just a military move, it’s a political one.

On the other hand, the idea of Auguste dying first and Aleron basically ignoring Laurent and taking stupid risks adds an interesting perspective on all three characters and on Laurent’s childhood. I mean, it’s heartbreaking, and while we already know that Aleron and Laurent were never close, this suggests an even more distant relationship than I would have assumed. (My personal take is that Laurent wasn’t surprised, at his trial, by the idea that his father thought he had nothing to live for after Auguste died, but he is surprised that it was obvious to a comparative outsider like Paschal.) But to discuss this more charitably, it’s hard to act rationally in the immediate wake of losing a loved one, and it seems like Aleron reacts to pain by pushing people away and making ill-thought-out choices–which is, of course, what Laurent does as well.

Finally, either scenario makes me wonder about the regent’s plans. Had he been planning to kill both Aleron and Auguste in one battle? Was there another archer waiting to kill Auguste and make it look like an accident? My sense is no, that both king and crown prince being killed by stray arrows would have looked too suspicious. So if Aleron died first, had the regent resigned himself to a power struggle with Auguste until he’s able to kill him later? On the other hand, if Auguste dies first–well, he was probably closer to the front lines than Aleron and more likely to be killed in battle. Did the regent’s assassin have orders to only shoot the king if Auguste had already been killed in the fighting? 

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pet pets

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The 7th Dandelion Princess

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i love the word "ostensibly", you can write some mean ass sentences with it

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Moonlight

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This a a reminder to not fall victim to the sunk-cost fallacy. Just because you invested time and energy into something, does not mean you should indefinitely waste more time and energy on it, if you decide it’s not what you want anymore. This goes for anything, from books, to relationships, to jobs, to hobbies, etc.

If it’s not serving you anymore, move on.

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Indulge 🍒🍑🍇

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Birthday gift great blue heron, watercolor and ink.

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Go Lovely Rose! Tell her that Wastes her Time and Mine Herbert James Draper

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Linktober day 21: spirit